Rocket Attack Hit Large Turkish Military Base In Northern Iraq

Source: Republic of Turkey Directorate of Communications.

Late on November 7, a rocket attack targeted a Turkish military base near the town of Zaylkan in Bashiqa district in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.

At least seven Grad 122 mm rockets targeted the base which is located 20 kilometers to the northeast of Mosul city and more than 60 km to the northwest of Erbil city, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

The rockets were fired from an improvised launcher that was uncovered by Iraqi security forces a few minutes after the attack.

قصفوا معسكر زليكان ب7 صواريخ 🙂
المعسكر يضم قوات تركية بمنطقة بعشيقة شرق الموصل .#وبدا_التصعيد pic.twitter.com/Nwx1iSOTGy

— 🇮🇶مؤمن عمر الطائي🇮🇶 (@Moman_altaie) November 7, 2021

According to the Sabereen News channel on Telegram, a fire erupted in the Turkish base after the rocket attack. It remains unknown if any Turkish service members were killed or wounded. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has not commented on the attack, yet.

The attack came less than a day after an attempt to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad with armed drones.

The rocket attack may have been carried out by Iranian-backed forces who have been growing frustrated with Turkey’s military presence and activities in the northern region.

In April, the Turkish military launched Operations Claw-Lightning and Thunderbolt in northern Iraq against the remnants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The operation is still ongoing. Ankara claims that 142 PKK fighters have been killed, wounded or captured, so far.

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